Department for Transport

Aviation: Licensing

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to raise the maximum age at which the Civil Aviation Authority can grant a licence to a commercial pilot so that it is equivalent to the state pension age; and what assessment they have made of the financial position of commercial pilots who are no longer permitted to fly but who are not yet eligible for a state pension.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Department for Transport is aware of the difference between the maximum age for commercial pilots and the state pension age, and of the financial impact this could have on some people. The government is determined to ensure equal employment opportunities are available to all, regardless of age. The Department is working with the CAA to explore whether there is a safety case for increasing the maximum age for commercial pilots and is also considering the approach that other regulators are taking in Europe on this issue.

Aviation: Crew

baroness randerson: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions, if any, they have had with the Civil Aviation Authority about the effect of the difference between the maximum age for commercial pilots and the state pension age on the financial position of commercial pilots.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Department for Transport is aware of the difference between the maximum age for commercial pilots and the state pension age, and of the financial impact this could have on some people. The Government is determined to ensure equal employment opportunities are available to all, regardless of age. The Department is working with the CAA to explore whether there is a safety case for increasing the maximum age for commercial pilots and is also considering the approach that other regulators are taking in Europe on this issue.

A55: Road Traffic

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many extra (1) trucks, and (2) other vehicles, they estimate will be using the A55 from Holyhead after 31 December.

baroness vere of norbiton: The Department has not made such estimates, and in any case, roads are a devolved matter. Changes in traffic volumes on the road network in Wales (including on the A55) is a matter for the Welsh Government.

Public Transport: Greater London

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to reimburse local authorities in London forany additional costsincurred as a result of the loss of free public transport forpeople under the age of 18living in that city.

baroness vere of norbiton: The £1.6 billion Extraordinary Funding and Financing Agreement to enable Transport for London (TfL) to continue operating services contained a series of conditions to facilitate safe travel on public transport in London, including the temporary suspension of free travel for under 18s. The Department is working closely with TfL, the Department for Education and the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government on how the temporary suspension can be operationalised.

Leader of the House of Lords

Written Questions

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the number of questions for written answer tabled by members of the House of Lords that have not been answered within the required timeframe; and why those questions have not yet received an answer.

baroness evans of bowes park: As of 30th July, there have been 7,372 QWAs tabled this session in comparison, a total of 6,266 QWAs were tabled in the whole of 2019. All departments have been working extremely hard in difficult and unprecedented circumstances. My office is in regular contact with departments about late responses. Additionally, I remind my ministerial colleagues of the need to provide timely answers to written questions and have received assurances that any backlogs are being worked through.

Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Property: Energy

baroness bennett of manor castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what progress they have made in rolling out Property Assessed Clean Energy programmes in the UK.

lord callanan: Our ambition is for as many UK homes as possible to be EPC Band C by 2035, where practical, cost-effective and affordable. We have launched a Green Home Finance Innovation Fund, which will provide £1.8 million to support three organisations to produce new green lending products for owner-occupiers to install energy efficiency improvements. We have also committed to a consultation on the merits of setting requirements for lenders to help the households they lend to improve their energy performance. Finally, we are working closely with the Green Finance Institute’s Coalition for the Energy Efficiency of Buildings to further develop the green finance market.

UK Audit Standards Independent Review

baroness bennett of manor castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to implement the recommendations of Sir Donald Brydon’s Independent Review into the Quality and Effectiveness of Audit, published in December 2019.

lord callanan: We have had three independent reviews on aspects of audit: Sir Donald Brydon’s review, Sir John Kingman’s review of the Financial Reporting Council, and the CMA’s market study of statutory audit. The Government is committed to acting on their recommendations, including legislating to create a stronger regulator as soon as parliamentary time allows, and will publish proposals in the coming months.

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Cybercrime

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of cyber attacks by foreign governments against (1) the UK, and (2) its allies.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Malicious actors, both State and non-State, are conducting activity that is detrimental to UK interests and those of our allies, whether directly targeted at us or not. Cyber attacks have grown in intensity, complexity and severity in recent years as these actors are becoming bolder and take more risks for economic, strategic, regional or financial gains. The UK Government has demonstrated that it will defend against, counter and identify those who seek to do us harm. The UK works with its international partners and in multilateral fora to call out those who are responsible for malicious and disruptive cyberattacks. Working closely with foreign agency and industry partners, Government agencies identify and mitigate vulnerabilities and manage and resolve incidents if they occur. The National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the Centre for the Protection of Critical National Infrastructure (CPNI) routinely assess the threat from a range of actors to our most critical sectors.

Cybercrime: China

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impacts of any cyber attacks by the government of China which they consider hostile to trade economy, national security, and critical infrastructure; and what communication strategy they have planned for all stakeholders who would be affected, including the public.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: Malicious cyber activity is increasing in sophistication across international boundaries. Both state-sponsored and criminal cyber actors are carrying out hostile operations against governments, critical and national services, financial institutions, businesses and individuals around the world. Government departments work closely with the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and the Centre for the Protection of Critical National Infrastructure (CPNI) to help industries, organisations and individuals protect themselves, their businesses and our critical national infrastructure. Campaigns like 'industry100', Cyber Essentials and Cyber Aware produce guidance and support that sets out protective measures that can be taken against a range of threats and actors, including espionage and cyber attacks.

Republic of Ireland: Shipping

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government what consultation they have undertaken with the government of the Republic of Ireland to assess the impact of any increase of direct shipping routes between the Republic of Ireland and mainland Europe.

baroness sugg: We have a close and constructive relationship with the Government of Ireland including on transport matters. During the Covid-19 crisis we were pleased to issue a statement with Ireland and France of our joint commitment to support the vital supply routes between our nations and to share information on our supports to freight routes. The introduction of new shipping routes between Ireland and mainland Europe are a matter for the Irish Government and the commercial operators of those routes.

Kashmir: Politics and Government

baroness ritchie of downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the situation in Ladakh.

lord ahmad of wimbledon: The Prime Minister expressed his concern at increased tensions between China and India in the House on 24 June. We welcome recent progress between India and China to manage tensions along their disputed border, and the commitment on 5 July by Indian and Chinese Special Representatives on 'the Boundary Question' to disengage troops along the Line of Actual Control and de-escalate the border areas. We encourage both sides to maintain dialogue and continue to monitor the situation closely.

Armenia: Azerbaijan

baroness cox: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of reports that the government of Turkey is recruiting Syriantroops to fight for the Azerbaijanimilitary against the Armenian military.

baroness sugg: We are not able to confirm media reporting that the Government of Turkey is recruiting Syrian troops to fight for the Azerbaijani military. The UK is deeply concerned by the recent ceasefire violations on the international border between Armenia and Azerbaijan and regrets the loss of life. We will continue to monitor the situation closely.

Department of Health and Social Care

Coronavirus: Death

baroness uddin: To ask Her Majesty's Government what data they are collecting on the numbers of COVID-19 deaths broken down by (1) age, (2) occupation, (3) gender, (4) ethnicity, and (5) religion.

lord bethell: To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet Science of Covid-19 note for House of Lords, which is attached due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library.



Science of COVID-19 information factsheet
(PDF Document, 151.79 KB)

Coronavirus: Disease Control

lord scriven: To ask Her Majesty's Government what was their estimate of the basic COVID-19 reproduction rate in each week from 1 February to 2 April.

lord bethell: To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet Science of Covid-19 note for House of Lords, which is attached due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library.



Science of COVID-19 information factsheet
(PDF Document, 151.79 KB)

Coronavirus: Disease Control

lord maginnis of drumglass: To ask Her Majesty's Government what are the populations for (1) England, (2) Scotland, (3) Wales, and (4) Northern Ireland; what has been the number of deaths from COVID-19 per country; what is the effective reproduction number of the virus in each country; and what plans they have to publish statistics on COVID-19 on this basis.

lord bethell: To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet Science of Covid-19 note for House of Lords, which is attached due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library.



Science of COVID-19 information factsheet
(PDF Document, 151.79 KB)

Coronavirus: Ethnic Groups

baroness crawley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to shield the BAME community from COVID-19.

lord bethell: To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet Science of Covid-19 note for House of Lords, which is attached due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library.



Science of COVID-19 information factsheet
(PDF Document, 151.79 KB)

Coronavirus: Minority Groups

baroness lawrence of clarendon: To ask Her Majesty's Government whatassessment they have made of the statement by the US Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) that “data suggests a disproportionate burden of illness and death among racial and ethnic and minority groups” from COVID-19; and whether the CDC study has direct implications for the control of the virus in the UK.

lord bethell: To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet Science of Covid-19 note for House of Lords, which is attached due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library.



Science of COVID-19 information factsheet
(PDF Document, 151.79 KB)

Coronavirus: Minority Groups

baroness whitaker: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of (1) reports that 58 per cent of Roma, and 43 per cent of Travellers, who have been tested for COVID-19 in Ireland have had a positive result, and (2), plans by the government of the Republic of Ireland to set up a mobile unit to test and treat marginalised groups in inner cities, with rapid delivery of test results; and whether they have any plans to set up similar facilities in the UK.

lord bethell: We are keen to learn from examples of best practice wherever they exist and the Department will continue to work with other countries throughout the crisis and beyond.We are developing “prototypes” to pilot equal access to testing using existing local authority networks. The learning from these pilots will be disseminated to all local authorities in order to establish a national framework to support groups such as the Roma, Gypsy and Traveller communities.We are also setting up a series of local testing sites to make testing easier to access for those without digital or vehicle access. 11 are operational as at 14 July 2020.

Coronavirus: Hospital Beds

lord warner: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the capacity ofbeds that are fully staffed, funded and available for use by patients in each of the Nightingale hospitals in England; what have been the occupancy levels of these hospitals since their opening; and how many (1) doctors, and (2) nurses, are currently employed in each of these hospitals.

lord bethell: The available capacity and staffing of the Nightingale hospitals is decided locally by National Health Service trusts and varies over time based on demand. At present, the Nightingale hospitals are on standby but are ready to be stood up if needed. The continued future use of the Nightingale hospitals is currently under consideration.The Government has stated that the NHS will get what it needs in terms of funding during the COVID-19 pandemic.The number of patients admitted to each of the Nightingale Hospitals is not available in the format requested. Admission data for COVID-19 patients is published online by NHS England and NHS Improvement at trust level but not for individual hospitals.

Coronavirus: Death

lord truscott: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the per capita COVID-19 death rate in England relative to other countries; and what assessment they have made of analysis which indicates that England has one of the highest per capita COVID-19 death rates in the world.

lord bethell: To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet Science of Covid-19 – note for the House of Lords which is attached, due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library.



Science of COVID-19 information factsheet
(PDF Document, 151.79 KB)

Coronavirus: Contact Tracing

lord birt: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the data obtained so far from the Test and Trace programme and, in particular, what it shows about how people arecontracting COVID-19.

lord bethell: To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet Testing – note for House of Lords which is attached, due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library 



Testing information factsheet
(PDF Document, 124.76 KB)

Coronavirus: Screening

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Bethell on 15 June (HL3889), (1) how many, and (2) what percentage, of postal COVID-19 tests up to8 May were returned with a valid sample.

lord bethell: To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet Testing – note for House of Lords which is attached, due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library 



Testing information factsheet
(PDF Document, 124.76 KB)

Coronavirus: Screening

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government on average what percentage ofCOVID-19 postal tests are retuned within (1) seven days, (2) five days, and (3) 48 hours.

lord bethell: To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet Testing – note for House of Lords which is attached, due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library 



Testing information factsheet
(PDF Document, 124.76 KB)

Coronavirus: Screening

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they haveto publish a table setting out, since rollout of COVID-19 tests, (1) how many COVID-19 postal tests have been dispatched each day, (2) how many COVID-19 tests have been returned each day, and (3) how many COVID-19 tests have been returned with a testable sample each day.

lord bethell: To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet Testing – note for House of Lords which is attached, due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library 



Testing information factsheet
(PDF Document, 124.76 KB)

Coronavirus: Screening

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the average length of time it takes (1) for COVID-19 test samples to be processed, (2) for the results to be sent to the person sampled, and (3)for the results to beforwarded to NHS Test and Trace personnel.

lord bethell: To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet Testing – note for House of Lords which is attached, due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library 



Testing information factsheet
(PDF Document, 124.76 KB)

Asthma: Death

baroness masham of ilton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the variation in asthma-related deaths across Clinical Commissioning Groups in England; and what plans they have to address any such variation.

lord bethell: No assessment has been made as the information is not held centrally.Respiratory disease is a clinical priority within the NHS Long Term Plan. The Plan has the overarching objective of improving outcomes for people with respiratory disease, including asthma. Within the Plan, the respiratory interventions include early and accurate diagnosis, medicines optimisation and the development of self-management models to support people with respiratory conditions to manage their condition all of which are applicable for asthma.

Coronavirus: Screening

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what their current target is for testing people in the UK for COVID-19; and how long they intend to maintain this capacity to address possible resurgences of the pandemic.

lord bethell: To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet Testing – note for House of Lords which is attached, due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library 



Testing information factsheet
(PDF Document, 124.76 KB)

NHS: Coronavirus

baroness finlay of llandaff: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact on NHS services which must be available on a 24 hour basis and which are dependent on a small number of specialist staff, including those working in transfusion services, of the requirement to quarantine for a 14 day period under the COVID-19 track and trace policy; and what steps they are taking to introduce a COVID-19 testing process for any such staff to reduce the time they spend quarantined. [T]

lord bethell: To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet Testing – note for House of Lords which is attached, due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library 



Testing information factsheet
(PDF Document, 124.76 KB)

Coronavirus: Screening

lord campbell-savours: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether statistics on testing for COVID-19 undertaken by private companies at the home of people being tested are entered into published statistics.

lord bethell: To provide a more comprehensive response to a number of outstanding Written Questions, this has been answered by an information factsheet Testing – note for House of Lords which is attached, due to the size of the data. A copy has also been placed in the Library 



Testing information factsheet
(PDF Document, 124.76 KB)

NHS: Data Protection

lord freyberg: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have toconsult key stakeholders and external experts on future Data Protection Impact Assessments for the management, storage and handling of NHS controlled data.

lord bethell: Under the General Data Protection Regulations 2016, data controllers are under a legal obligation to complete Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) particularly where it involves high risk processing. All National Health Service organisations processing patient data as data controllers are therefore required to complete DPIAs and where necessary, to consult with key stakeholders to ensure risks to privacy are identified and mitigated as far as possible.A DPIA for the NHS COVID-19 Data Store has been completed and is published on the NHS England website. The data held in the Data Store has gone through a process of pseudonymisation. Identifiable data is not held or made available to users and nor are they permitted to remove the data from the controlled area.

NHS: Data Protection

lord freyberg: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to carry out a Data Protection Impact Assessment on the rights and freedoms of the people whose health data is collected by the NHS; and whetherany suchdata is protected against access by intelligence services.

lord bethell: Under the General Data Protection Regulations 2016, data controllers are under a legal obligation to complete Data Protection Impact Assessments (DPIAs) particularly where it involves high risk processing. All National Health Service organisations processing patient data as data controllers are therefore required to complete DPIAs and where necessary, to consult with key stakeholders to ensure risks to privacy are identified and mitigated as far as possible. It would be inappropriate for the Government to undertake a DPIA in relation to the health data held by those organisations. It is the responsibility of each of these organisations to protect the confidentiality of patients and to ensure that there is a legal basis for the disclosure of any personal information.

Hospitals: Admissions

lord bassam of brighton: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to publish a comprehensive strategy to clear the backlog of hospitalisations that are unrelated to COVID-19; and what plans they have for consultation with stakeholders to achieve this outcome.

lord bethell: Guidance has already been issued to the National Health Service on the process of starting to restore urgent non-COVID-19 services. NHS England and NHS Improvement also continue to work with the Royal Colleges and other key stakeholders to ensure that this is done as quickly and as safely as possible within the available capacity.

Health Services: Waiting Lists

baroness hodgson of abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government how long they estimate it will take to clear the NHS waiting lists caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

baroness hodgson of abinger: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to clear the backlog of healthcare cases caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

lord bethell: Guidance has already been issued to the National Health Service on the process of starting to restore urgent non-COVID-19 services. We have now started to reset NHS services that were rightly suspended whilst we dealt with the initial impact of COVID-19. The approach is being flexed at local level according to capacity and demand in different parts of the country, but the reset will be gradual.

Department for International Development

Overseas Aid

baroness goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they plan to take (1) to maintain standards of independent scrutiny of the UK aid budget, and (2) to ensure accountability for that expenditure.

baroness sugg: The Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office will be accountable to parliament for how it spends UK aid. We remain committed to full transparency in our aid spending and there will continue to be parliamentary and independent scrutiny of the aid budget – the form this takes following the merger will be set out in due course.

Children: Vaccination

the marquess of lothian: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to reports by the World Health Organisation thatthere has been a significant decline in the global vaccination of children against diphtheria, tetanus, and whooping cough in the first four months of this year, what urgent action they are taking (1) to reverse this decline, (2) to minimise the disruption of immunisation programmes in adversely impacted areas, and (3) to prevent further deterioration in vaccine coverage.

baroness sugg: COVID-19 lockdown measures have disrupted routine immunisation services in the poorest countries with the weakest health systems, reducing access to vaccines for vulnerable children. The World Health Organisation estimates that coverage of the third dose of diphtheria, tetanus, and pertussis may have declined by 25-50% in May 2020 in Gavi-supported countries as compared to baseline levels.Routine immunisation is the strongest shield against outbreaks of vaccine preventable diseases. The UK is Gavi, the Vaccine Alliance's largest donor. Through UK support, Gavi, UNICEF and the World Health Organisation are working closely with countries to maintain and restore coverage levels, through catch up immunisation campaigns and strengthened routine immunisation programmes.Through our support to Gavi and DFID’s bilateral health programmes, we are advocating for the importance of immunisation within countries’ COVID-19 primary health care recovery plans, with an unrelenting focus on equity at the sub-national level and reaching zero-dose children. The $8.8 billion raised by the UK at the Global Vaccine Summit on 4th June, will enable Gavi to immunise 300 million more children and save up to 8 million lives.

Department for Education

Ports: Wales

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans to arrange, in conjunction with the Welsh Government, training for local people to undertake any additional jobs needed at the Welsh ports following the UK's departure from the EU.

baroness berridge: Skills training and education is devolved and therefore any training delivered in Wales to support employment opportunities in Wales are matters for the Welsh Government.In England we want to make the skills systems more responsive to employer skill needs both locally and nationally and we have been working with employers to jointly design and deliver policies and programmes to do this.This includes key reforms to apprenticeships, making them longer, better, with more off-the job training and proper assessment at the end. With employers in control of developing standards, they can be assured that apprentices will get the skills employers need.We are also making technical education more responsive to the needs of communities and employers, with the introduction of T levels this September, proposals to reform higher technical education and investment in Institutes of Technology.

Arts: GCSE

lord baker of dorking: To ask Her Majesty's Government how many GCSE entrants there were in (1) art, (2) music, (3) dance, and (4) drama, in (a) the 2010, and (b) the 2020, academic years.

baroness berridge: This information is not yet available for 2019/20. It will become available once we release our provisional publication between December and January 2021 at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/announcements/entries-for-gcse-november-2020-exam-series. The number of pupils in all schools in England at the end of key stage 4 who entered music, art, drama or dance at GCSE level (including equivalents) is published each year (including 2010 onwards) in the ‘subject time series data’ table at the following link: https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/key-stage-4-performance-2019-revised.

Oak National Academy: Finance

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government how much funding has been allocated to the Oak National Academy in the 2020–21 financial year; and whether there will be an independent assessment of the educational value and value for money of the contract awarded to Oak National Academy.

baroness berridge: The department made £500,000 in grant funding available to the Oak National Academy to underwrite additional start-up costs associated with their operation over the course of this summer term. A further £4.34 million grant funding has been made available to the Oak National Academy for the 2020-21 academic year, split over the 2020/21 and 2021/22 financial years.The payment profile across the two financial years remains subject to confirmation. A requirement of this funding is that the Oak National Academy records and makes available the vast majority of their lessons for each subject by September, to give schools maximum flexibility to align the lessons and topics with their own curriculum planning. The funding provided to the Oak National Academy is to enable teachers to supplement their remote education contingency plans.The department is currently considering approaches to evaluating the Oak National Academy’s effectiveness.

Education: Registration

lord watson of invergowrie: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether all unregistered education settings are required to register with Ofsted.

baroness berridge: Any education setting which provides full-time provision to 5 or more pupils of compulsory school age (or one or more pupils of compulsory school age who is also looked after or has an education, health and care plan) is required to register with the department. The registration process involves a pre-registration inspection by Ofsted to confirm that the setting is likely to meet the independent school standards on opening.The department is considering changes to the registration requirement for schools. The consultation on ‘Regulating independent educational institutions’, which was published on 14 February 2020 and suspended on the 7 May due to the COVID-19 outbreak, set out proposals to extend the registration requirement to full-time institutions that are not currently required to register. We intend to restart this consultation in the autumn, when appropriate. Once the consultation is completed, we will consider our next steps on the proposals.

Treasury

Revenue and Customs: Staff

lord wills: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the statement on COVID-19 by the Prime Minister on 17 July, what plans they have for the return ofstaff of Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs to work in offices.

lord agnew of oulton: HMRC follow Government guidelines on social distancing and safe workplaces. HMRC’s current estate capacity is therefore reduced. Use of that space is prioritised for the delivery of services that cannot be completed effectively at home, or for staff who are unable to work at home for personal reasons. About 5,000 colleagues have been working in HMRC offices throughout the COVID-19 response. Within the limited capacity available, HMRC expect to increase the number of colleagues safely using their offices from August in order to deliver their full range of tax and customs functions and support a returning economy.

Taxation: Electronic Government

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what measures they have in place for anyone (1) without access to computers, and (2) who is not online, when the Making Tax Digitalprogramme comes into operation

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what (1) allowances will be available, or (2) payment will be made, toanyone who is self-employed for the time spent complying with the requirements of the Making Tax Digital programme.

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether the Making Tax Digital programme hasbeen introduceddue to reductions in the HMRC workforce.

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have tofund any (1) specialised computer software, and (2) training, required by the self-employed for the Making Tax Digital programme.

lord west of spithead: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans they have to fund appropriate standards of broadband connection for those who live in areas with poor broadband connectivity to ensure that they can participate in the Making Tax Digital programme.

lord agnew of oulton: The Government understands that some people with disabilities, those in rural locations with poor broadband services, and those who are digitally excluded for other reasons may find it more difficult to comply with Making Tax Digital (MTD) requirements. MTD exemptions have operated successfully since the introduction of MTD for VAT in April 2019 for businesses with taxable turnover in excess of the VAT threshold. These exemptions will continue to be available to businesses within the expanded scope of MTD. There will be no specific allowances or payment made to those using MTD for time spent complying with MTD requirements. However, the Government accepts that there will be time spent in familiarisation with the new MTD obligations (digital record keeping and quarterly submission of information). The Lloyds Bank UK Consumer Digital Index 2019 found that those who are the most digitally engaged save a day a week in administration by going digital. Once businesses are used to operating the new MTD processes, the Government anticipates that they will find that MTD makes it easier for them to get things right, reducing errors and saving time in administering their tax affairs. MTD is not a response to any changes in HMRC workforce. It is a key part of the Government’s long term goal for HMRC to become one of the most digitally advanced tax authorities in the world, and forms part of the Government's 10-year strategy to build a trusted, modern tax administration system. As well as helping to tackle the part of the tax gap arising due to error and failure to take reasonable care, MTD will help to make the tax administration system more resilient and effective in responding to future shocks, while also providing businesses with access to real-time data and a more accurate overview of their financial position. The Government will not be funding specialist software or training, but will continue to work to ensure that any additional costs to business are minimised. Free Income Tax software will be available for businesses with the simplest tax affairs. For VAT, there are already over a dozen free packages available as part of a highly competitive market with over 500 products for different business needs. On training, the HMRC customer support model includes a multi-layered approach stretching across agents, third party software support, through to telephony support, webchat, and HMRC’s Extra Support service, as well as signposting to information and guides and to local or third party providers of digital skills courses or support already offered by external providers. For those with slow speeds and no access to other commercial alternatives, the broadband Universal Service Obligation (USO) came into force in March 2020. The USO gives people in the UK the right to request a decent and affordable broadband connection. The Government has pledged £5 billion to support the rollout of gigabit-capable networks to the hardest to reach 20% of the country.

Ministry of Defence

Armed Forces: Employment

baroness ritchie of downpatrick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to maintainthe size of the regular Armed Forces as set out in the National Security Strategy and Strategic Defence and Security Review 2015, published in November 2015.

baroness goldie: The Armed Forces have active and targeted recruitment campaigns which are proving effective; intake to the UK Regular Armed Forces was 16,340 in the 12 months to 31 March 2020, an increase of 30.9 per cent compared with the previous 12 months. Although recruitment figures have exponentially increased, we are not complacent and recognise that outflow also increased slightly by 5.7 per cent to 15,460 in the same 12 months. To improve retention, we closely monitor the impact of Service life on individuals, particularly in areas where there are shortages, and take steps to address issues arising. Measures include the 2019 Armed Forces pay rise of 2.9 per cent which also increased starting pay by 6%, one of the biggest awards within the public sector; Flexible Service, introduced in April 2019 affording personnel more control over their working patterns; the new Future Accommodation Model (FAM) which gives personnel greater control over their housing arrangements; the Service for Experienced Re-joiner and Volunteer Engagements (SERVE) launched on 24 June; and Wrap-around childcare pilots that alleviate the associated challenges faced by our personnel.

Counter-terrorism

lord hodgson of astley abbotts: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have madeof the effectiveness of targeted killing as a counter-terrorism strategy.

baroness goldie: The Ministry of Defence has not made any assessment as to the effectiveness of targeted killing as a counter-terrorism strategy.

Counter-terrorism

lord hodgson of astley abbotts: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made ofthe targeting of people directly participating in hostilities towards the UK who are located in non-belligerent states.

baroness goldie: As the Government has stated previously, it has a policy to defend the UK and its citizens against both armed attacks and imminent threats of armed attack. In doing so the Government may draw on a wide range of tools including, in extremis, the use of lethal force where there is no other effective option. Every situation would be considered on its merits and the appropriate course of action would depend on the circumstances prevailing at that time.

Unmanned Air Vehicles

baroness stern: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Goldie on 18 June (HL5486), whether it is their policy not to answer questions about the deployment of RAF Reaper drones; and if so, when this policy was agreed.

baroness goldie: There is no policy to not answer questions about the deployment of RAF REAPER drones. However, there is a long standing policy not to comment on operational matters where the disclosure of information would increase the risk to intelligence and operational security.

Military Aid: Coronavirus

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with reservist employers about mobilising(1) the Army Reserve, and (2) the Regular Reserves, in the event of any second wave of COVID-19.

baroness goldie: The Ministry of Defence (MOD) maintains regular contact with reservist employers (including the Army Reserve) through routine engagement activities. Should there be a requirement to mobilise more reservists for future tasks related to COVID-19, the MOD will engage with employers through the usual, well established channels. So far, there has been a very positive response from employers to the call-out of reservists as part of the national response to COVID-19. Details of call-out procedures, including the responsibilities of employers and reservists, and the financial compensation packages available, are set out on-line on www.gov.uk.

Military Aid: Coronavirus

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the case for mobilising (1) the Army Reserve, and (2) the Regular Reserves, in the event of any second wave of COVID-19.

baroness goldie: As part of our normal contingency planning arrangements, the Ministry of Defence is currently scoping its potential input into the response to any potential second wave of COVID-19. A reserve call-out order is already in place for the use of Reserve forces in the response to COVID-19, which could be used to mobilise Army Reserve and Regular Reserves should a second wave occur. Defence seeks to mobilise intelligently, making the most of the expertise available through its Reserve forces, whilst giving them and their employers flexibility.

Military Aid: Coronavirus

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what plans are in place to mobilise (1) the Army Reserve, and (2) the Regular Reserves, to deal with any (a) second wave of COVID-19, and (b) any unrest following the end of the Brexit transition period.

baroness goldie: Reservists undertake a variety of roles within Defence and provide a valuable contribution when called upon. As part of the national response to the Coronavirus pandemic circa 2,300 reservists (circa 1,850 of which were Army reservists) have been mobilised for Covid-19 related activities this year. The authority to mobilise reservists in Covid-19 roles is active until March 2021. This enables reservists mobilised prior to March 2021, under the Covid-19 Reserves Call Out Order to contribute to any Defence response to a potential second wave of Covid-19 if there is a need to do so. The maintenance of public order is the responsibility of the police. There are no plans to utilise Armed Forces personnel, including reservists, to deal with any unrest following the end of the transition period. Defence remains closely engaged on contingency planning related to the end of the EU Transition Period and remains available to support the civil authorities if necessary.

Defence: Coronavirus

viscount waverley: To ask Her Majesty's Government what assessment they have made of the impact of COVID-19 related deployments on the fulfilment of their standing defence commitments.

baroness goldie: Throughout the pandemic, the Department has prioritised the delivery of critical Defence outputs, including standing commitments. The Department assesses that there has been no significant impact caused by its support to COVID-19 activity.

Department for Work and Pensions

Industrial Health and Safety: Coronavirus

baroness bennett of manor castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government what role they expect the Health and Safety Executive to play in (1) breaking transmission chains, and (2) establishing what allowed the transmission of the virus, in respect of workplace outbreaks of COVID-19; and what, if any, extra resources they have provided to enable any such role.

baroness stedman-scott: Public health authorities lead multi-agency outbreak investigation teams and the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) has a significant role to play when a workplace is involved. HSE contributes information about the extent and effectiveness of infection risk controls in the workplace enabling the team to draw conclusions about likely infection routes. HSE is also carrying out proactive spot checks of workplaces to ensure that appropriate measures are in place to protect workers from COVID-19, and provides guidance on relevant COVID-19 risk controls for businesses and organisations on it’s website (www.hse.gov.uk). Establishing what allowed the transmission of the virus is a priority and HSE engages across government with Public Health England (PHE), the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, Food Standards Agency and the devolved administrations; sharing data and learning lessons. HSE’s Chief Scientific Advisor (CSA) is on the Scientific Advisory Group for Emergencies and co-Chairs the Environmental and Modelling group which aims to provide scientific information on transmission in the built environment, which would include many workplaces. This group have been engaging with PHE, the Department for Health and Social Care and others to ensure that environmental considerations have been considered during outbreak management. The Government has made available up to an extra £14.2 million for HSE to support the provision of advice and regulatory activities. These funds will be drawn down throughout the year to bring in additional inspectors, call centre staff and equipment as required.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Environmental Land Management Scheme

lord teverson: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they will ensure that Tier 2 and Tier 3 Environmental Land Management Schemes are complementary to, and coordinated with, Nature Recovery Networks at a local and regional level.

lord goldsmith of richmond park: The Government is committed to establishing a Nature Recovery Network across the whole of England. This will restore habitat, creating an expanded and increasingly connected network of places that are richer in wildlife, more resilient to climate change, and which provides wider environmental benefits.In the Environment Bill, we are legislating for Local Nature Recovery Strategies to provide the spatial mapping required to direct investment and action locally to help restore and create habitat and establish the Nature Recovery Network.It is the Government’s intention to make the nature measures promoted by the new Environmental Land Management Scheme consistent with Local Nature Recovery Strategies. We are working closely with stakeholders to explore how best to do this.We are exploring how the scheme could support the Nature Recovery Network through tests and trials. Five of the Tests and Trials are examining the Nature Recovery Network, including how a landscape scale plan could support the delivery of major habitat restoration.

Home Office

Domestic Abuse: Coronavirus

baroness helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government on how many occasions the National Oversight Group on Domestic Violence met in the period between Januaryand March 2020; and what specific recommendations that group madeaboutpreparations for the lockdown put in place to address theCOVID-19 pandemic.

baroness helic: To ask Her Majesty's Government on how many occasions the National Oversight Group on Domestic Violence met in the period between Marchand July 2020; and what specific recommendations that group made about thelessons learned from the restrictions put in place to address the COVID-19 pandemic.

baroness williams of trafford: We are acutely aware of the need to put victims at the heart of our approach to tackling domestic abuse at this time. The National Oversight Group on Domestic Abuse has not formally met this year but we are working closely with its participants including domestic abuse charities, the Domestic Abuse Commissioner, Police and across government to understand the needs of victims of domestic abuse at this time, and how these can best be supported. The Government has posted advice regarding national helplines on gov.uk to guide victims to the most appropriate support for their individual needs (https://www.gov.uk/guidance/domestic-abuse-how-to-get-help). This has been extensively promoted through our awareness raising campaign #YouAreNotAlone. The Home Office has announced £2m of funding to help bolster helplines at this time; £1.2m of this has already been allocated to provide Covid-19 support. This is in addition to the £750 million funding package announced by the Chancellor, £76 million of which will support survivors of domestic abuse, sexual violence and modern slavery as well as ensure that vulnerable children and young people continue to get the help they need. From this funding the Home Office, Ministry of Justice and Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government have so far allocated some £24 million to support domestic abuse charities, and further bids are being assessed.

Migrant Workers: Social Services

lord alton of liverpool: To ask Her Majesty's Government how they intend to respond to the concerns raised by the Cavendish Coalition, on behalf of UK health and social care groups, that their current immigration proposals would not allow enough overseas workers to be recruited for the care sector; and how they intend to address any shortfall of such workers in the Immigration and Social Security Co-ordination (EU Withdrawal) Bill.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government recognises the fantastic contribution made by those working in the social care sector and the need for roles in it to offer rewarding career opportunities. The independent Migration Advisory Committee has been very clear immigration is not the answer to the challenges faced in this sector, a view the Government shares.The Minister for Future Borders and Immigration has met with the Cavendish Coalition to hear their thoughts about future immigration policy. In response he confirmed the Government would not be creating a migration route to allow some employers in the sector to permanently recruit at the legal minimum wage as an alternative to paying more competitive\rewarding salaries to their staff who undertake such valuable work supporting the most vulnerable.He also outlined how the groups represented by the Cavendish Coalition should in the first instance seek to engage with the Department for Work & Pensions about how they can work together to encourage more UK based jobseekers into rewarding careers in the Social Care Sector, rather than view immigration as the preferred option for addressing any shortfall in recruitment and as a way to ensure continued recruitment at the legal minimum wage. This is especially relevant when many UK based workers with the ability to make excellent social carer workers are looking for new employment due to the economic impact of Covid-19.As we implement the new immigration system, we want employers to focus on investing in our domestic work force and offering rewarding packages to Social Care Workers, rather than view immigration as an alternative to doing this. In relation to roles within the sector where specific training is required the new skilled worker route will provide for a broader range of roles, including senior care workers to come to the UK.The EU Settlement Scheme means all EU and EAA citizens, and their family members, currently working in social care can stay in the UK and we are encouraging them to do so.The Government is supporting the Social Care sector in several ways, including through launching a national recruitment campaign and providing councils with access to an additional £1.5 billion for adults and children’s social care in 2020-21.

Motor Vehicle Type Approval

lord bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty's Government, further to the Written Answer byBaroness Williams of Trafford on 9 July (HL5647), which items of equipment related to the prevention or reduction of road accidentshave been awaiting type approval for longer than 18 months; and in each case, why such items have not yet been approved.

baroness williams of trafford: Six items of equipment originally sought type approval more than 18 months ago (i.e. before 20th January 2019). Of these, four items are awaiting manufacturer information, decision or action as follows: Awaiting results to evaluate following supplier testingWaiting for the supplier to provide sufficient clarity on the changes made to a currently type approved productOutstanding action on supplier to implement necessary changes to comply with the requirements for type approval In a further case the manufacturer has now made the necessary changes required for type approval and a report to the Home Office is undergoing technical review. In the final case, a previously withdrawn aspect of an otherwise type approved product was resubmitted with improvements in April 2019 and a report to the Home Office is currently undergoing technical review.

Police: Training

baroness greengross: To ask Her Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with police forces in England and Wales about ensuring that all police officers undertake unconscious bias training.

baroness williams of trafford: The public rightly expect police officers to meet high standards of professional conduct. In this country, the power of the police to fulfil their duties is wholly dependent on public approval of their existence, actions and behaviour and on their ability to secure and maintain this public respect.The College of Policing, which sets and maintains training standards for policing, published the Code of Ethics in 2014. This includes a set of principles for policing, including that all officers and staff should take active steps to oppose discrimination and make their decisions free from prejudice. This is a cornerstone of police training and development.The College of Policing’s foundation training for all those entering the service includes substantial coverage of police ethics and self-understanding, including the effects of personal conscious and unconscious bias. Initial training covers hate crimes, ethics and equalities, and policing without bias.Forces also provide local training and development at several different levels ranging from initial entry, leadership and ongoing development to reflect and reinforce organisational values.

Police: Finance

baroness greengross: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking to ensure that financial pressures on local authorities as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic do not lead to cuts to local police force funding.

baroness williams of trafford: The Government has been clear that the police will get the financial support they need to keep our communities safe through the COVID-19 pandemic.The Government took immediate steps to increase the availability of funding for forces to meet cashflow pressures caused by the pandemic. We flexed half of the £168 million Police Uplift ringfenced grant to include expenditure on COVID-19 related pressures for the first six months of the financial year. We also brought forward payment of the £142.6 million police pensions grant, which forces received in April this year.The Government also recently announced that council tax and business rates collection fund deficits accumulated 2020-21 can be phased over three years rather than paid off in 2021-22. This will give police and other local authorities in England a breathing space when setting their budgets for next year.The Home Office continues to gather evidence of forces’ additional Covid-19 related expenditures since the introduction of social distancing measures, de-veloped in close consultation with policing sector finance leads. We will use this evidence base to inform cross-Government decisions on the police’s fu-ture funding needs.

Department for International Trade

Trade Agreements: NHS

lord roberts of llandudno: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they have any plans for Parliament to ratify future trade deals involving the NHS; and if they have no such plans, why.

lord grimstone of boscobel: Trade is vital for the NHS, which relies heavily on crucial goods and services that come wholly, or in part, from suppliers based overseas. Trade enables the NHS to buy the best possible medicines and medical devices that industry – here and overseas – has to offer.At the same time, Britain’s international public procurement commitments do not apply to the procurement of British healthcare services. In fact, Britain’s public services are protected by specific exclusions, exceptions and reservations in the trade agreements to which we are party, and HM Government will continue to make sure that the same rigorous protections are included in future trade agreements.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Television: Coronavirus

lord taylor of warwick: To ask Her Majesty's Government what steps they are taking, if any, to support BAME–led television organisations during the COVID-19 economic recovery.

baroness barran: The government is committed to supporting our fantastic screen industries, which include BAME-led television organisations, and to working together with industry to support greater diversity. We welcome the work Ofcom has undertaken through their annual diversity reports on broadcasting and we are working with the British Film Institute (BFI), in their role as the Government’s arm’s length body, to improve representation both on and off screen, including through supporting the wider adoption of the BFI’s Diversity Standards which apply to films, online and broadcast television content.To date, as part of its response to the COVID-19 pandemic the Government has not provided bespoke support to any one group within the television industry. However, the Government has provided support to the sector as a whole, including the recently announced UK-wide £500 million Film and TV Production Restart Scheme. This will help to get TV and film productions across the country that have been halted or delayed by a lack of insurance to get back up and running, by giving productions the confidence they need that they will be supported if future losses are incurred due to Covid-19. The scheme will directly support up to 40,000 - 50,000 jobs in the film and TV production industry.Ministers have engaged with the broadcasting sector at regular roundtables to take into account challenges created by the pandemic, including impacts on diversity in broadcasting. We will continue these discussions to assess where Government can further support organisations as we move further into the recovery stage.More broadly, the Government’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been one of the most generous and comprehensive in the world, including the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme, the Self-Employed Income Support Scheme and the Bounceback Loan Scheme and business rates reliefs. In addition, the Government has adapted the welfare system so that the self-employed can access Universal Credit in full, to help people get quicker and more generous support when they need it most.

National Railway Museum

baroness bennett of manor castle: To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they plan to intervene in the National Railway Museum’s decision to move Locomotion No. 1 from Darlington to Shildon.

baroness barran: The historic locomotive, Locomotion No.1, is owned by the Science Museum Group, and it is up to the Museum itself to determine where and to whom it loans objects from its collection. The Science Museum Group operates independently, at Arm’s Length from Government. We will not become involved in, or seek to influence, curatorial decisions.

Women and Equalities

Business: Gender

baroness goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what support they have provided to businesses to facilitate an improved gender balance in the workplace since February.

baroness goudie: To ask Her Majesty's Government what actions they have taken to reduce the gender pay gap since February.

baroness berridge: In recognition of the unprecedented uncertainty and pressure facing employers due to the Coronavirus pandemic, and to ease the burdens on business, the Government and the Equality and Human Rights Commission suspended enforcement of the gender pay gap reporting deadlines for 2019/20. However, employers can still choose to report their data and we have carried on providing support to those who need it. Over 5,500 employers have reported to date and more continue to do so.